They've revealed it there (http://www.insani.org/), so I guess I may as well mention it here... insani have broken their "no more full games" rule, and Kanon is not going to be the first Key title to get a 100% English release after all.

brickman

2005-02-21, 05:50

Woo hoo! more KEY games translated, the better my life becomes.

gp32

2005-02-21, 09:27

Well, other than the fact that I continue to maintain that a Kinetic Novel isn't technically a *game*, per se, and Kanon had to have been a lot more effort than planetarian was ...

Haeleth

2005-02-21, 09:38

Hair-splitting, hair-splitting... ;)

adun50

2005-02-21, 16:27

YAY! i can read through it again and be all sad again. lol well that's good news to hear. i was actually trying to extract the game text myself but to no avail. i don't think I have the know how on doing this kind of stuff.

gp32

2005-02-22, 05:45

YAY! i can read through it again and be all sad again.
If you already knew enough Japanese to read through it once, why would you want to read through it again in English? It's not as if my translation is any improvement on the original :p

Spiritsnare

2005-02-22, 13:36

Maybe with the advent of a translation in one's foreign language, more sadness will ensue?

But yeah, Kanon > Planetarian in terms of length. Much more so. ;)

This gives me an excuse to buy the full version of Planetarian...

adun50

2005-02-22, 16:24

If you already knew enough Japanese to read through it once, why would you want to read through it again in English? It's not as if my translation is any improvement on the original :p

i know very little Japanese, and can pick up certain Kanji. but after a while throughout the game it got tiring going through the dictionary. so i i just quickly went through the game. and you know what the say. a picture is worth a thousand words.

gp32

2005-02-22, 18:02

but after a while throughout the game it got tiring going through the dictionary. so i i just quickly went through the game. and you know what the say. a picture is worth a thousand words.
Oh, oh, I see. My apologies; I thought for some reason that you were fluent in Japanese, and thus my earlier comment.

Donut

2005-02-26, 17:46

That's great actully. The it'd be a reason for me to buy the game. The more these game come's out to the world and after a while maybe it become's popular and they'll do these kind of programs for outside countries too.

Good luck to Insani crew and Haeleth! And they're Future progress too!

gp32

2005-02-27, 21:12

It is DONE (http://planetarian.insani.org/).

Misu

2005-02-27, 23:10

dang... more money that needs to go out >.<...

I'm mean, THATS WONDERFUL NEWS! *holds up Japanese victory fans!*

2005-02-27, 23:56

ありがとございます insani-san

I actuly had it for a while now, but haven't been able to play.. ahem, read it (naturaly)

Maceart

2005-02-28, 01:07

BTW, is there any way to extract the music for this game? Cuz the music is very very good in Planetarium.

2005-02-28, 01:13

LOL, I just finished playing the demo, and was wondering how long I would be waiting for the full patch. refreshed the page and saw it.

^_^

GreatSaintLouis

2005-02-28, 03:03

BTW, is there any way to extract the music for this game? Cuz the music is very very good in Planetarium.
I'm not sure about the retail edition, but the Trial edition's music seems to be stored in .OGG files in the \KINETICDATA\BGM directory of your install path.

Haeleth

2005-02-28, 03:52

BTW, is there any way to extract the music for this game? Cuz the music is very very good in Planetarium.
http://d4.princess.ne.jp/pcat/

Although it doesn't work for everyone.

Nanatuha

2005-02-28, 06:56

Wow, excellent gp32. I'm also stimulated to want to play when I see the page. (However I bought a electronic dictionary this month so I have no money now ... XD)

gp32

2005-02-28, 07:09

Wow, excellent gp32. I'm also stimulated to want to play when I see the page. (However I bought a electronic dictionary this month so I have no money now ... XD)
I remember the first time I read through the Kinetic Novel. After a certain part of it, I jumped to my feet, ran to my car, and then criss-crossed several states, stopping by at every planetarium I could find.

So much fun :)

zalas

2005-02-28, 13:47

So, gp32 did an astronomical version of the following?
http://web.archive.org/web/20030907000428/http://www.geocities.co.jp/SiliconValley-Cupertino/1002/Trip.swf

gp32

2005-02-28, 14:40

So, uh, who gets to be the Compulsive to zalas' Obsessive?

Haeleth

2005-02-28, 14:45

Hmm, maybe I should raise the limits a little... I wasn't expecting to have anyone get a triple-figure post count when I set the titles up. ^^;

Soulfang

2005-02-28, 14:50

Great translation, gp32 and the insani crew... I love this story. It's a mini-masterpiece, in my opinion. :)

Haeleth

2005-02-28, 14:52

Junker decides to go to the planetarium.
Goes there.
The end.
It's a mini adventure!

gp32

2005-02-28, 14:59

It's a mini adventure!
A trial-edition trial by fire? *runs*

Misu

2005-02-28, 16:03

so the whole game is just a trial edition to another game that will never be released oO? XD

so would that make the trial edition of planetarian, like the mini trial edition? XD

(wouldnt know, havent gotten a chance to play it yet, I'm gonna do it tonight ^^)

Maceart

2005-02-28, 16:23

Arghhh... Haeleth.. the program doesn't work for some reason.

hmmmm

Well, played 1 hour into it. I have to say, the they set up the atmosphere very well. Although the fact there's only 2 characters is a bit jarring.

I wonder how this "reverie" would end.

Haeleth

2005-02-28, 16:59

Arghhh... Haeleth.. the program doesn't work for some reason.
Could you be a little more specific?

Normally I'd just stretch out my mind across time and space and suck the details of the problem from your thoughts, but it's been a long day...

Slipgate

2005-02-28, 17:09

Heh, to briefly interject on the three-digit post counts... another phpBB forum on another website (of someone I know IRL) I have over 900 posts, edging close to 1000.

What? Don't look at me like that ;).

Slipgate

Maceart

2005-02-28, 18:39

ok...

I downloaded the program, called Planepak.exe I put it into my Planetarian folder, and it opens. It has a window where it tells me to select an output directory, and a check with Psd in it (can't read the other text). So I choose a folder, and click "convert". And then, illegal operation occurs. Maybe I'm not following the readme or something?

Haeleth

2005-02-28, 18:48

Oh, that program. I thought you were talking about something to do with the patch. ^^;

adun50

2005-02-28, 21:00

a great job done by the insani crew and Haeleth. such a sad story, yet it would make a great OVA

Maceart

2005-02-28, 22:43

Perhaps key persuade an anime production studio to make this into a short and sweet OAV while secretly working with Kyoto to bring CLANNAD to the TV screen! (i wish...)

adun50

2005-02-28, 23:39

weird. i got the extractor to work but seems like i am missing a few files. for example the BGMs. i can only extract 2, 4, 6, and 8. but oh well. at least i got majority of the files.

GreatSaintLouis

2005-03-01, 01:38

Alright, so I have to ask... for those of you that have played it, is the game worth the purchase price? I just finished the translated trial edition (which was done very well, by the way - good work to all involved) and am so intrigued that I am heavily debating springing for the full thing, but I'd like some advice from those who have come before, so to speak. I'm kindof in a spot where even something as negligable as 1050 yen is an important sum, so I just want to make sure it doesn't go to waste.

Then again, this is currently the cheapest and most accessable Key game to date, is it not?

Ah, the weight of the decision...

gp32

2005-03-01, 05:22

Alright, so I have to ask... for those of you that have played it, is the game worth the purchase price?
I would still have bought it were it to cost twice as much as it costs right now, and I would still think that I had made a good purchase.

Call me biased (as I'm the one who translated the thing ...), but I think it's worth every cent.

Besides, any work that had me at one point wandering through three different states visiting planetaria has got to be special.

Edit: after reading Haeleth's response below, I'd also like to add that it's a somewhat different experience to read the story over again after you've experienced said ending. There are certain nuances of the language used that become much more significant to the reader only after the first read-through. I tried very hard to preserve this in my translation, but the God of Robots only knows whether I succeeded or not.

Haeleth

2005-03-01, 05:44

If you think it's good so far, buy it. It gets better, and the ending alone is well worth the price of admission.

emperor

2005-03-01, 14:32

I'm kindof in a spot where even something as negligable as 1050 yen is an important sum, so I just want to make sure it doesn't go to waste.

Well it is certain that it would not go to waste, as it is a decent, in my opinion good, game. Whereas the demo version failed to overwhelm me, the full version was to my mind surprisingly good. I know this does not sound convincing, but it's hard to explain (especially without spoilers) what causes me to think so. One reason might be that the demo version does not give the impression that it does, as it is unsurprisingly unable to, fulfill some basic guidelines of the kind of narrative it is.
However, if you are really in situation where 1050 yen are important I really recommand waiting as it really does not seem like it would become unavailable in near future (if kinetic novel stays alive it might even live longer than normal games as it will probably not go "Ouf of print" then).

GreatSaintLouis

2005-03-01, 18:37

Well, thanks for the glowing reviews, everyone - I bit the bullet and bought it. I had a little fun with the Windows XP Japanese IME in trying to shoehorn my katakana-ized name into kanji on the registration form (I thought, if they let you get away with reusing the default name in the form, why not a different one?) and came out with this 7 kanji monstrousity that CAN'T mean anything positive. I'm currently waiting for the download - did everyone else get a speed of 15-20kbps or was it faster for you?

However, if you are really in situation where 1050 yen are important I really recommand waiting as it really does not seem like it would become unavailable in near future
The amount is important - not a matter of life or death, mind you (or in this case, rent or eviction), but it was important enough that I didn't want to spend it on a flop with little to no resale value (as opposed to something on physical media.) However, the positive reviews from people in this thread have convinced me it should be worth it - I did enjoy the trial edition, after all.

Maceart

2005-03-01, 21:52

Yes. 1050 yen is WELL worth the price of admission. For a visual novel to have me bawling in tears, I would say that is very very good for a "budget" game like Planetarian.

Man, why don't American budget games be like this? Key could've released this as a game here in the 'states and made it into an experiment. It would've only costed them less than 15 bucks per copy, so it's well worth a gamble.

But yes, Haeleth. It is a bit cliched, but the story for Planetarian is still far deeper than most Hollywood or adventure games that any US company can come up with.

And is the scenario writer and the song composer the same people who worked on AIR?

Man, I really hope Key takes this awesome story they had and make an OAV out of it, or even a short TV series. Man that would really rock.

Quick question, and I apologize if this has been answered already, but I 'played' through the trial version before purchasing the full version (both patched), and it struck me as odd that the configuration menus were translated in the trial version but not for retail. Was there something changed in the way that data was stored to make it hard to get to, or was it merely an oversight?

As for the game itself however, ~$10 well spent.

emperor

2005-03-02, 01:13

I think it's because patching the executeable was avoided for certain reasons that it is not 100%.

Nephillim

2005-03-02, 03:04

Just a few questions:

1) Are there CGs in the retail version?
and
2) Is there anyway to view them after you've seen them or completed the story?

Korgath

2005-03-02, 03:40

Just a few questions:

1) Are there CGs in the retail version?
and
2) Is there anyway to view them after you've seen them or completed the story?

Yes and yes.

adun50

2005-03-02, 04:04

@ Maceart: 6 hours to read! well at least you savoured up every bit of it in that amount of time at your own pace.

it struck me as odd that the configuration menus were translated in the trial version but not for retail. Was there something changed in the way that data was stored to make it hard to get to, or was it merely an oversight?
EXE protection meant we couldn't just edit the resources in the same way; I tried various other approaches, but it proved a rather tough problem, and while I know it would have been possible to solve (given enough time), ultimately we agreed it wasn't worth delaying the release over.

is the scenario writer and the song composer the same people who worked on AIR?
They are indeed.

Anyways, the music IS from AIR, no wonder. It was perfect and fit the mood exactly as it was meant to. Is it true that key visual arts is testing their "rookie" writers on this game? Cuz I read somewhere else that many people thought Planetarian wasn't as polished as Key's past works.

Haeleth

2005-03-02, 18:16

Is it true that key visual arts is testing their "rookie" writers on this game? Cuz I read somewhere else that many people thought Planetarian wasn't as polished as Key's past works.
On the contrary; Yuuichi Suzumoto is a published novelist with about fifteen years' experience behind him.

In fact, in many respects Planetarian is rather more polished than Key's other works. It certainly doesn't have as many obvious typos. The slight roughness in the prose is more a product of the subject matter. Post-apocalyptic tales of ruined cities are hard to write as smoothly as light-hearted school stories like Kanon. And for structure, Planetarian easily wins - it's slicker and tighter even than AIR's SUMMER, which was the closest Key had previously come to a well-balanced story...

gp32

2005-03-02, 18:51

In fact, in many respects Planetarian is rather more polished than Key's other works.
I think that one of the reasons that some Key fans were somewhat disappointed by planetarian is that by its very nature, this piece is different from anything that Key has ever done. This is a story with only two -- two! -- characters to flesh it out. On top of that, a strong argument could be made that both of the characters are more allegorical symbols than they are characters in the traditional sense. Then there's the language -- while Suzumoto did write the SUMMER portion of AIR, the language he employs in planetarian is completely different. Sharper. Swifter. No wasted motion. Harder to love. On top of that, this piece layers subtlety on top of subtletly -- creating a dark mass of motion frozen not unlike the stars in the night sky that the piece takes as its idee fixe. And just like the dimmer stars in the sky, this subtlety is easy to miss if one isn't reading carefully.

If anything, I respect this piece more than I ever respected Kanon or AIR. I do so in spite of the fact that -- or perhaps because -- it requires the reader to work at it -- to suffer -- in order to comprehend its beauty. And that is why it will never be as popular as the other, longer Key works.

Valkyrie

2005-03-02, 23:01

but well....planetarian is a gd work by Key still...although i find it a tad short...

adun50

2005-03-03, 05:48

but well....planetarian is a gd work by Key still...although i find it a tad short...

that is why it is called a visual novel :P

GreatSaintLouis

2005-03-03, 06:04

Absolutely beautiful. I just finished reading it, at 5:50 in the morning, which should say something about the quality if it keeps me up this late/early. Bravo to everyone involved in the translation, and a huge thanks as well from those of us whose Japanese isn't nearly good enough to experience such things firsthand.

I left my feedback in the review page - I hope someone there speaks/reads English, as again my Japanese isn't anywhere near fluent, and I didn't want to chance something as dodgy as Babelfish lest they think it was from someone whose mental faculties weren't quite up to snuff. It wasn't much of a review either, more like a good deal of thanks and praise for creating the story. I hope the message gets through.. >_<

I'm currently working up the courage to go through it once more - all of Key's works that I have experienced so far (being planetarian, the Kanon and Air animes (thus far, in Air's case) and the translated bits of Kanon) are rather emotionally draining, and can't really be experienced in rapid succession - at least, for me, anyways. Maybe I just get too into the stories.

An OVA would be an awesome thing, especially if the team doing Air could possibly be tapped for it, but I'd have a hard time watching it, knowing what was coming. :(

Thanks again to haeleth, gp32, and everyone else involved in bringing this to the slavering masses. :)

gp32

2005-03-03, 06:13

Absolutely beautiful. I just finished reading it, at 5:50 in the morning, which should say something about the quality if it keeps me up this late/early. Bravo to everyone involved in the translation, and a huge thanks as well from those of us whose Japanese isn't nearly good enough to experience such things firsthand.
Not a bad use of $10, was it now?

an anime version would be nice
Here too I'm torn. I can't help but think the story we have is too carefully tuned to the short-novel form to work well as an anime. There's only the one action scene; apart from that, most of the meat is in the narration, the facts of life and survival tips that the Junker drops in as asides, the dreams (which are pictures, not stories). And it would be very tough to get any significant audience to accept a two-character show that's nearly entirely set in a single room... ;)

The problem is that if you take away any of those problematic elements, you're left with Yet Another Post-Apocalyptic Mecha Show...

gp32

2005-03-03, 11:39

Yet Another Post-Apocalyptic Mecha Show...
Is that SuSE's next big project? I could just see it now ... "beyond the bounds of YAST, past the desolation of YACC" ...

Are there any voices for this game?
Not much more than what you hear in the Trial Edition.

Village Idiot

2005-03-03, 15:28

Are there any voices for this game?

I haven't bought it yet, so I wouldn't know.

Just voices for the intro and another scene at the end of the story.

Hikari Tsukishiro

2005-03-03, 15:56

Another question.

I just bought the game, and twice this pops up:

patchui error: unable to find UI element.

The game seems to run fine though. I did cancel the red regristration key thing early though and the key won't show up again.
Is that what is wrong?

Haeleth

2005-03-03, 16:27

Probably not.

If you download this (http://haeleth.net/temp/patchuidbg.zip), unzip it in the KINETICDATA folder of your planetarian installation, run the game, and then email me the "patchui.log" that appears in the KINETICDATA folder, I'll stand a chance of guessing what the problem is. ;)

Maceart

2005-03-03, 16:48

Still, an animation of Planetarian ~Reverie of the Planet~ would be really nice, as Saint said. Of course, if they can tap Kyoto Animation to do a 90 minute movie, it will even be better, cuz the shortness of the story coupled up with the dual climaxes makes for a very intriguing storyline for a movie.

K

2005-03-03, 19:13

Font selection isn't working for me on the Trial Version (rendering the game unplayable), so I'm probably not getting the full one until I figure it out.

I'm fairly sure I've tried setting the computer to Japanese before, although I guess it can't hurt much to try again >_>;

Slipgate

2005-03-03, 19:13

At first I was going to say that if it was truly novelistic, a series might give the length needed instead of an OVA... but if it is novelistic and detailed enough that you don't want to break it into chunks, a longform movie (that doesn't hesitate to be long and doesn't try to cap it at 90 minutes if it would be a disservice to do so) might work well.

This is all hypothetical, and coming from someone who, as a case in point, felt Fellowship of the Ring's movie was astounding precisely in 2 respects: 1) Capturing much more of the book than I thought would be doable within 3 hours (although missing some, missing less than I thought it would) and 2) Telling it as a compelling story - Bakshi's animated film was faithful but felt very dry, and I saw that for the first time the day before I saw Jackson's Fellowship movie back in 2001 - I became concerned since the Bakshi movie was SHORTER and was covering Fellowship and half of Two Towers and still felt slow and dull... which made me think an even LONGER movie focusing on Fellowship might have problems... but I again, was amazed at how well Fellowship managed. Followthrough in Two Towers and Return of the King was not AS good to me because what deviation existed in Fellowship had begun to trickle down...

However, speaking as a single book to single film adaptation, I'm sure that a movie version of Planetarian which doesn't hesitate to go longform and doesn't try to cut the story to 90 minutes might adapt well, just as Fellowship did. And if the story is really good, probably be really compelling as well.

Font selection isn't working for me on the Trial Version (rendering the game unplayable), so I'm probably not getting the full one until I figure it out.
What Windows version~? Have you tried installing some of these (http://www.travelphrases.info/gallery/Fonts_Japanese.html)~?

In response to Koki's and GSL's further comments on the ending: I guess that's the advantage of where it stops, you can read it as a happy end of sorts even if you assume the worst will happen...

K

2005-03-04, 13:48

XP, and I have plenty of Japanese fonts (although I could install some more and hope for the best, I suppose)... Kanon/Air work perfectly fine here, too. Dunno about Clannad.

It just doesn't seem to register that I have Japanese fonts, even though I do >_>;

Haeleth

2005-03-04, 14:13

Have you tried AppLocale?

K

2005-03-04, 14:16

Just tried it now. Still doesn't work x_x;

I think the game hates me.

gp32

2005-03-04, 16:31

AppLocale isn't going to help you, or at least that's what I've found in my testing. Perhaps you might want to try installing this (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=24a66277-cd9f-4332-a6f1-52b85a6470bd&displaylang=en)?

Also, you're absolutely *sure* that you have your default ANSI codepage set to Japanese? See here (http://www.insani.org/faq.html#4).

Wow. Finally had time to sit down and play this. Echoing everyone elses statements, it really was a touching story.

Big thanks to gp32, haeleth, and everyone else for a wonderful job translating/patching the game for all of us!

Maybe if a whole lot of people outside of Japan buy it, visualarts will notice, and hire you all to translate other works :)

As an aside, as I was reading the story, it occured to me that the story seemed suited for a theaterical (i.e. stage play) type of production. Somehow I can picture that better than an anime. But this probably just means I'm crazy.

Slipgate

2005-03-06, 16:07

Recently I decided I'd go for this. But given how busy I can get, I have a question. About how long a book is this to read? It is just to read and has no choices, correct? Saving game essentially being bookmarking? School takes up most of my time, and I'm wondering if I'd make enough progress in the book as a whole to justify buying it now as opposed to, oh say, late May.

Slipgate

emperor

2005-03-06, 16:10

Maybe if a whole lot of people outside of Japan buy it, visualarts will notice, and hire you all to translate other works :)

Not as if they'd notice since everybody has to think of a Japanese name when registering. Not as if they'd check the IPs it was downloaded from and not as if they do/may check the names on the credit cards to see if they are Japanese ones.

gp32

2005-03-06, 16:20

About how long a book is this to read?
It takes the average reader anywhere between 4-6 hours.

Shish

2005-03-06, 16:28

About how long a book is this to read?.

I did it in two evenings~ The first evening I got through the same amount as was shown in the demo, then I planned to do just a couple of chapters a day but ended up not being able to stop until the end >_<

> Not as if they'd notice since everybody has to think of a Japanese
> name when registering

I don't think they'd be paying attention to the names of registrants (just out of interest, what do the examples in the signup form mean in english?) -- What I would think they'd pay attention to however, is the review site -- and it's quite obvious when someone writes a non-japanese review :)

Haeleth

2005-03-06, 17:42

Not as if they'd notice since everybody has to think of a Japanese name when registering.
Not true! I'm signed up under my real English name and address.

Okay, I had to mangle the address a bit to fit Japanese conventions, but they WILL accept Western names if you write them in wide characters ("Ｆｒｅｄ" instead of "Fred").

just out of interest, what do the examples in the signup form mean in english?
The name is "Taro Yamada", which might translated "John Smith". The address is somewhere in Tokyo that seems to be a common example address. The example company name is "Download Inc.", and the job title "Systems Development".

Maybe if a whole lot of people outside of Japan buy it, visualarts will notice, and hire you all to translate other works :)
They'd be more likely to serve us with a cease-and-desist order. It may seem silly from a fan's perspective, but that's the way the business mind works...

As an aside, as I was reading the story, it occured to me that the story seemed suited for a theaterical (i.e. stage play) type of production. Somehow I can picture that better than an anime.
Now that's an interesting thought. Theatre actually shares the same constraints, doesn't it? Limited sets, limited cast, and more talking than action...

GreatSaintLouis

2005-03-06, 17:48

What I would think they'd pay attention to however, is the review site -- and it's quite obvious when someone writes a non-japanese review :)

I just hope they have someone fluent enough in English on the staff to make sense of them. Also (though it's a small worry), I hope they will welcome this small amount of interest by English speaking people and make future projects of this sort (in the event there are any) either the same as or more accessable than planetarian to people from other countries - there's some small part of me that wonders if Key/VisualArt's might not approve of this, either due to some odd import/export law technicality or just a wish to have the software remain available only in Japan.

And in response to Slipgate: It's not a huge time commitment at all, I powered through it in one sitting of about 4 hours. I had meant to spread it out, make it last a little longer, but the story was so engrossing that I kept going. You can save ('bookmark') at any point in the game, making it perfect for just 10-15 minute sessions at a time, if you can handle waiting that is. ;) I'd actually recommend that method - the story and experience just goes by all too fast if you read the whole thing in just one or two sittings.

Slipgate

2005-03-06, 18:16

So it sounds like it's about like the Slayers novels (something which I got into back when they released volume 1) ... you get so engrossed you often find yourself reading in one sitting but you can force yourself to stop if you TRULY must. I'd estimate the Slayers novels to be about 2 hours each... some might say an hour but I dwell on them and try picturing stuff (important case in point - the descriptions of the characters do not match perfectly with how the anime and manga changed them... visualizing this new Lina and then the events slowed me down but made me appreciate more). Sorry, I got off topic there... anyway... given recent homework load, I'll still probably wait a week or two.

Slipgate

emperor

2005-03-06, 23:23

No people don't actually submit English feedbacks...no...this can't be. Sigh...really...I am speechless. Well it does show people have time to waste.

gp32

2005-03-06, 23:34

Actually, several people have submitted feedback in English :)

However, it doesn't look like they've gotten posted; some poor soul over at myreview.jp is probably scratching his head going "what the heck?!"

Shish

2005-03-07, 00:01

Well I'd be grateful for japanese feedback on any of my projects... Weirded out, but grateful...

emperor

2005-03-07, 00:54

However, it doesn't look like they've gotten posted; some poor soul over at myreview.jp is probably scratching his head going "what the heck?!"
I do not think that person wasts much thoughts on it, it's imply being discarded, after all the pros are probably able to sort out pranks/other cases of uselessness without a second thought. I don't think it's worth making a fuss over...if it becomes annoying they might do it like isao.net : temporarily banning some ip regions and producing a fake error message if the browsers standard language is anything but Japanese until the flood ends.

gp32

2005-03-07, 07:55

I do not think that person wasts much thoughts on it, it's imply being discarded ...
I agree that they're probably being discarded; what I was speaking of, though, was the very fact that in order to discard the English reviews in the first place, those myreview.jp people would probably have to look through the reviews they'd gotten -- and be subsequently puzzled that suddenly, a crop of what seem to be English-only reviews has popped up. Thus I'm convinced that there's *someone* over at myreview.jp who's wondering what the heck is going on.

emperor

2005-03-07, 08:51

I understood what you meant, I just thought that pros wouldnt's start wondering over stuff like that, that's what they are pros for, it's their job. Furthermore if they made thoughts how to filter then not even one was ever read. Popular filters in non-japanese are: delete all ones with no capital letters, delete all with no . , delete all with too much capital letters and delete ones with abusive words.
A simply filter I could imagine for Japanese that would also probably be a baisc one, which also they would set (also considering there is as far as I know already a chinese fan translation) would be to delete all messages without at least a few hiragana. If they really filter those English ones manually then they are simply not professional enough. I honestly find myself unable to imagine that pros don't have any filter sets for those cases.

Spiritsnare

2005-03-07, 17:01

Okay, I had to mangle the address a bit to fit Japanese conventions, but they WILL accept Western names if you write them in wide characters ("Ｆｒｅｄ" instead of "Fred").

How do you write in wide rather than normal characters?

Haeleth

2005-03-07, 17:04

I do it by switching to Japanese input and enabling the "Full-width Ascii" mode. I don't know how you'd go about it if you don't have a Japanese input method installed... I guess you could copy and paste from something like JWPce.

Spiritsnare

2005-03-07, 17:15

Oh, I already have the language bar thing working - just that I need to save up money to get a keyboard that has Japanese letters on it so then I won't be confused on which key produces which kana...

That, or I might get Planetarian first anyway. :3 Thanks!

Haeleth

2005-03-07, 17:20

I need to save up money to get a keyboard that has Japanese letters on it so then I won't be confused on which key produces which kana...
Or you could just open the IME properties and change the input mode from kana to romaji...

Spiritsnare

2005-03-07, 19:53

They let you do that? o.o; ::starts tweaking the IME stuff::

EDIT: Ack, it's all in Japanese anyway, so I don't know what to tweak and where x.x

EDIT2: found it...glee! :3

EDIT3: This is so fun. XD

Guest741*

2005-03-09, 10:26

Well, I've purchased this game, though for some reason the final registration stage doesn't work correctly. It gives me a '303' error message, or something like that. What could be the problem?

emperor

2005-03-09, 10:45

It would've helped if you copied the error message since hardly anybody knows what the 303 might stand for.
Maybe make sure that the information of your CC are correct. It's year-month for the date and your name (just as on your card) in all caps. Though those 2 things are also stated on the guide...so i suggest you also make sure the card isn't expired.

Haeleth

2005-03-09, 12:04

Check your firewall settings? The program needs to connect to the internet on its first run... that might be the problem. But, as emperor says, you're really going to have to provide a few more details if we're going to be able to give you any informed suggestions.

emperor

2005-03-09, 12:43

I seem to have misinterpreted the "final registration stage", I thought it was still about the registration page. But it really seemed to make sense he means the program itself, because that would explain why he did not (could not) copy&paste an error message. In that case taking a screenshot and hosting it for example at http://imageshack.us/ sure be helpful. Screenshots can be easily done by pressing print button and using any image editing program to paste it into and save it as a jpg. Make sure that you run it with applocate or correct settings so that the text that can be seen on the screenshot also turns out useful.

2005-03-09, 20:24

Yeh, I suspect that it might be the firewall since the message shows during 0%. However, if so, I don't think I can do anything about it, since it's regulated by my isp via the router. But here's a the error message (that I hope will prove me wrong): http://img175.exs.cx/img175/7048/untitled7vo.jpg

emperor

2005-03-10, 02:56

It rather proves it right.
"Couldn't connect to the internet.
Please confirm your internet connection."
Well, if your router manages it I'd suggest changing its settings. I do not quiet believe your isp sets your routers settings, there must be some kind of remote administration that can be done. It's quiet strange thought for a router to block outgoing connections though. If its security is that high not to allow outgoing connections on untrusted ports I simply cannot believe this is forced on you, that would mean many other programs couldn't connect either, so if it's really the fault of your ISP then you should feel free and complain to them as much as possible.

zalas

2005-03-10, 04:03

Does the new XPSP2 firewall prevent outgoing traffic as well? Furthermore, maybe some search into port forwarding for Planetarian might be useful, though I don't know how what the percentage of people using routers in Japan is...

Haeleth

2005-03-10, 05:05

I can duplicate that exact message by denying the program access to the internet using a software firewall. What I can't work out is what's denying it access on your computer. It isn't simply that the port it wants to use is closed - because the port it wants to use is port 80, and if that was closed you wouldn't be able to access ANY web sites. And I find it hard to believe your router is able to block a port to certain programs only - certainly mine can't do that.

Are you sure you don't have a software firewall installed? That's still the most likely cause from what I can see.

If you have Windows XP SP2, you could try following these (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=842242#6) instructions to let the game through its firewall. The program you want to give access to is the "Kinetic.exe" in your planetarian folder. Though, again, if this is an XP problem I'd have expected more people to run into it...

Stranger

2005-03-10, 05:16

haven't had time to read it through yet, but hopefuly this weekend (said the same thing last weekend, but ended up in the office).

"Guest", does is countine after that error, or does it stop there (ie, can you PLAY/READ the novel or does it exit). If it countines then ignore it :)

gp32, just wandering how many downloads did you get so far??!!!, having a counter on the site might be useful for some compaines that think there is no market for this type of work (same goes to Kanon and AIR translation).

gp32

2005-03-10, 05:37

gp32, just wandering how many downloads did you get so far??!!!, having a counter on the site might be useful for some compaines that think there is no market for this type of work (same goes to Kanon and AIR translation).
Yeah, useful all right -- in proving beyond a reasonable doubt that they are right in thinking that there is no market for this kind of thing. We've had a little under 500 downloads to date. There is significant doubt in my mind that even half of these downloads actually bought the game. On top of that, there is the fact that not five hours after we released this patch, a cracked version of planetarian with our patch integrated began circulating at a certain popular BitTorrent site. Downloads on this torrent exceed the downloads on our patch by quite a large degree.

I do not think I need to tell you that even if all 500 downloads were buys, that would still not equate to break-even if it were being sold.

All this patch has shown -- both to me and to any company that might be looking on -- is that at least 90% (and if my figures are correct, something more like 95-99%) of the people who play these games pirate them, even if the cost to buy is $10. Given that, why in the world would these companies take the effort -- and waste the money -- to create English localizations of these games?

As I've said elsewhere, if this translation project could be seen as an acid test for the bishoujo gaming "community", then the "community" has clearly failed.

Misu

2005-03-10, 05:54

Yeah, I second that....
I havent even gotten 10 downloads of the Planetarian Translation Patch on my Direct Download Mirrors and the Torrent Site just whipped our butts...
510 downloads to well... lets not go there... I dont want to know the number *sigh*

emperor

2005-03-10, 08:20

It isn't simply that the port it wants to use is closed - because the port it wants to use is port 80, and if that was closed you wouldn't be able to access ANY web sites.

Maybe he has some kind of proxy so that he won't have any outgoing port 80 addresses and the activating does not import the proxy settings? But then again he'd HAVE to know that. But maybe if his parents/his son/whoever takes care of it (there seems to be more users then one due to the need for arouter) he might not completely informed about everything.
One could also start other assumptions like any strange behavior (like sending of the mac address in case it's done) or other protocol (if it doesn't also use standard http protocol) the router might block...
I suggest to the guest: check if your browser has a proxy configured.
And contact your router administrator for any possible filters.

2005-03-10, 09:26

Hmm, well I'm pretty sure I don't have a software firewall turned on(haven't even installed SP2, since it was giving me problems). It also shows the box as unchecked when I go to the advanced tab of the connection's properties. The person who installed the router said there was a firewall built in to the modem, and that it has to be used for the ISP to work(I was trying to use a wireless router outside of it, but it wasn't working). Unfortunately, I don't have the password for the network settings (either cause I don't know it, or that I forgot it :?). I don't think I'm using any proxies either.

Haeleth

2005-03-10, 09:56

Okay... in that case, I suggest you contact your ISP. Tell them you've bought a program that needs to connect to the web, and that it says it's failing to connect, and ask whether they or the firewall in the modem might be blocking it. If you're lucky, they may know enough about your setup to be able to fix whatever the problem is. Or they may know how to recover that password for you...

procyon

2005-03-10, 10:04

All this patch has shown -- both to me and to any company that might be looking on -- is that at least 90% (and if my figures are correct, something more like 95-99%) of the people who play these games pirate them, even if the cost to buy is $10. Given that, why in the world would these companies take the effort -- and waste the money -- to create English localizations of these games?

As I've said elsewhere, if this translation project could be seen as an acid test for the bishoujo gaming "community", then the "community" has clearly failed.

Not surprising at all, but depressing never the less.

GreatSaintLouis

2005-03-10, 10:18

All this patch has shown -- both to me and to any company that might be looking on -- is that at least 90% (and if my figures are correct, something more like 95-99%) of the people who play these games pirate them, even if the cost to buy is $10. Given that, why in the world would these companies take the effort -- and waste the money -- to create English localizations of these games?

That's really sad. The game itself was only 1050円, plus there was a trial version already released so people could even try the game before buying!

It's hard to believe the depth people will sometimes go to to avoid paying for things. I hope this isn't a discouragement to others out there looking to begin a translation project - maybe it IS a good thing you didn't post a download counter, after all.

gp32

2005-03-10, 10:27

I hope this isn't a discouragement to others out there looking to begin a translation project - maybe it IS a good thing you didn't post a download counter, after all.
I should also mention that I am deeply grateful to every single one of you who did buy the Retail Edition because of our patch.

For my own part, though, I think I am going to go back to my original impulse and continue to translate solely Trial Editions for at least the near future.

There's a promising translation group or two in the wings, but nothing I can talk about for the time being ^_^

Slipgate

2005-03-10, 10:30

I know you feel that your full translation inspired the piracy of this game, but I think the cracking of this game would probably have happened even if you hadn't supplied a translation.

Similarly, Haeleth here isn't trying to encourage people to pirate Kanon just for the fact that he has a full (or will be full, anyway) translation to the game. People are going to either buy it legitimately or pirate it either way depending on them.

Slipgate

gp32

2005-03-10, 10:35

I know you feel that your full translation inspired the piracy of this game, but I think the cracking of this game would probably have happened even if you hadn't supplied a translation.
Uh ... no. I have no argument against your statement, but it's a non sequitur.

The game was cracked even before my translation ever happened. And that fact is almost immaterial. Here's why: what our full translation did is it gave a bunch of people who might otherwise not have a reason to pirate the game impetus to go ahead and do so. There's a critical difference there.

And the thing that I'm disappointed about isn't exactly the fact that people are pirating the game -- it's that with this Kinetic Novel, those people who claim that bishoujo games would do well over here had a very good opportunity to make an impact in the only place the matters -- in the bottom lines of the companies who make these games. This opportunity has largely been thrown away.

Slipgate

2005-03-10, 10:39

Now that I can understand. Sorry if I misunderstood your concern before.

Slipgate

procyon

2005-03-10, 16:29

And the thing that I'm disappointed about isn't exactly the fact that people are pirating the game -- it's that with this Kinetic Novel, those people who claim that bishoujo games would do well over here had a very good opportunity to make an impact in the only place the matters -- in the bottom lines of the companies who make these games. This opportunity has largely been thrown away.

Yeah. Especially given the very low cost of entry with Planetarian.

It makes me wonder if commercial anime would have ever taken off here if the group of fans had access to bittorrent, fat network pipes and digital fansubbing. Tape trading fansubs is just as illegal as digital fansubs, but didn't scale well, and took enough time and effort that it left a niche for commercial providers. I believe the presence of commercial providers in the US, and other western markets really helped bring anime into the mainstream (and now act as an important funding source for the japanese creators).

With the ease and rate of piracy, it looks like bishoujo gaming will never catch on a viable commercial level in english speaking countries. Given that there are *very* few translators with the determination and skill needed to translate full games on a fan basis, we, the English speaking fanbase pretty much lose out.

Tragedy of the commons really...

Slipgate

2005-03-10, 16:49

Possible, but such licensing businesses only came up in strong amounts like ADV, Funimation, or the like because of fansub-type interest - in specifically getting this stuff imported and seeing this foreign stuff. That's what made them see that there was a large interest in anime here. Otherwise it would at best have remained as "appropriating" footage from elsewhere, a la Robotech, or "farming" animation out to Japan of stories written here, a la... well, a lot of things when you come right down to it, Inspector Gadget included.

The fansub type interest showed an interest in the actual shows that were there as told there, not just as Japan being a place to get animation produced or a place to cheaply acquire something to shape into something else.

If the piracy was on BitTorrent levels though... I don't know.

Slipgate

Spiritsnare

2005-03-10, 16:53

I hope this isn't a discouragement to others out there looking to begin a translation project - maybe it IS a good thing you didn't post a download counter, after all.
I should also mention that I am deeply grateful to every single one of you who did buy the Retail Edition because of our patch.

That's what I'm going to do, actually. I'm nearly starving myself at my school's lunch period just so then I could save up the money to get one of those cheapass $25-loaded prepaid cards at Quik Stop and subsequently buy planetarian with that. It shouldn't be that hard - especially with your guide on how to buy it.

Well, not exactly starving - all I have is one cup of noodles or home-brought food... :3

Haeleth

2005-03-10, 17:02

then I could save up the money to get one of those cheapass $25-loaded prepaid cards at Quik Stop and subsequently buy planetarian with that.
Hmm... I hadn't heard of those. As long as it's an actual VISA or Mastercard, just with a prepaid credit limit, it should be fine...

Spiritsnare

2005-03-10, 17:03

From my experience with prepaid cards in the past...do you know if they accept debit cards or not?

I think it should work, then, and a quick Google does suggest that these cards really do work exactly like credit cards from the retailer's point of view, which is promising. But the Kinetic Novel purchasing FAQ is rather unclear about exactly which kinds of card they accept, so you should probably prepare yourself for the possibility of failure.

I don't suppose anyone else would happen to have tried already...?

procyon

2005-03-10, 17:34

If the piracy was on BitTorrent levels though... I don't know.

And thats the crux of the argument: the speed and ease of digital piracy kills the nascent market, to the long term detriment of the fanbase.

And we're *way* off topic right now, so Haeleth, feel free to split this off or just tell me to shut up :)

gp32

2005-03-10, 22:28

From my experience with prepaid cards in the past...do you know if they accept debit cards or not?

EDIT: Just coached a young friend through the buying process. He was using one of the aforementioned prepaid cards. Went through fine.

GreatSaintLouis

2005-03-11, 03:02

My copy was purchased with a debit card with Visa logo as well. To a computerized system, a debit Visa is the same as a normal Visa card (without the eternity of debt and damnation for the user). Basically, any place that takes Visa (or Mastercard, should your debit card have that logo) should take it no problem.

New

2005-03-12, 08:45

Here's a question I've wanted to ask; it costs 1050 Yen, right? So, is it possible to use an american Credit Card (Mastercard, Visa, etc) to purchase it, or do I need a Japanese one (Which would... suck.)

EDIT: Sheesh, already answered.

EDIT 2: Or maybe not. Please, someone answer. That guy who's gonna try it with the quik-stop card, lemme know so I can try the same thing if it works; I've loads of cash.

emperor

2005-03-12, 09:56

http://planetarian.insani.org/guide.html Look there, it says visa, mastercard, etc...though although it says etc I don't remember there being many more (was there even 1 more than those 2? at most 2 more). Well as long as you have one of those you're safe. Gp32 already confirmed that prepaid cards or however they are called work just fine. So I guess there should be no probs.

GreatSaintLouis

2005-03-12, 18:50

Must have skipped over this earlier:
I should also mention that I am deeply grateful to every single one of you who did buy the Retail Edition because of our patch.
Let me just put it this way: had you guys not made the retail edition patch, I would not have purchased the game. Thanks again.

Spiritsnare

2005-03-12, 21:31

That guy who's gonna try it with the quik-stop card, lemme know so I can try the same thing if it works; I've loads of cash.

Don't we already know each other from the Azumanga forums? XD But anyway...

My current balance is $14. I haven't gotten the card yet - my parents still have to give me my $10 weekly allowance, boosting my money-on-hand to $24. The prepaid card also has a $10 activation fee, so I need to get to $35 in order to recieve the lowest prepaid value, $25.

So it may be a while before I attempt to get the credit to purchase and download (and patch) planetarian. Expect me to report this week, probably this weekend by the latest.

Aldareon

2005-03-13, 03:11

Hmm, well I'm pretty sure I don't have a software firewall turned on(haven't even installed SP2, since it was giving me problems). It also shows the box as unchecked when I go to the advanced tab of the connection's properties. The person who installed the router said there was a firewall built in to the modem, and that it has to be used for the ISP to work(I was trying to use a wireless router outside of it, but it wasn't working). Unfortunately, I don't have the password for the network settings (either cause I don't know it, or that I forgot it :?). I don't think I'm using any proxies either.
I've heard of ISPs blocking ports to circumvent peer to peer communications, but I think it's most likely that it's due to your modem router's built in firewall settings. I guess it doesn't really matter if you are using an ADSL or cable modem as you don't have the admin capability. Guess it will be up to your techie, eh? Anyhow, does anybody know what port the program uses?

On another note, can someone also tell me how big the download file is? I'm currently on a dial-up right now just waiting for myself to get relocated to a new accomodation with broadband when it becomes available. Hopefully soon. I've been temporarily relocated to Queensland due to work-related training and going back to dial-up is painful I tell ya!

cheapass $25-loaded prepaid cards at Quik Stop
PREPAID Visa??? Does it bother anyone that anybody can just rock on to a store, get a Visa and just buy ANYTHING off the 'net because the sites assume you are an adult due to your ownership of a credit card? (Umm .. I hope you don't take that personally, Spirit .. I'm not accusing you of anything wrong ^_^ Seriously!)

Oh and back to the main topic - does the game need to be connected to the internet at all times when you want to play, or only at the initial stage? Just wondering whether I should get myself a wireless router or not on the joyous occasion I get my broadband connection.

emperor

2005-03-13, 05:16

Anyhow, does anybody know what port the program uses?

On another note, can someone also tell me how big the download file is?
1. Haeleth already said it uses port 80, http port, unlikely to be blocked.
2. Download is 46,2 MB (48.447.312 Bytes).
3. It does only connect the first time.

adun50

2005-03-13, 05:39

PREPAID Visa??? Does it bother anyone that anybody can just rock on to a store, get a Visa and just buy ANYTHING off the 'net because the sites assume you are an adult due to your ownership of a credit card? (Umm .. I hope you don't take that personally, Spirit .. I'm not accusing you of anything wrong ^_^ Seriously!)

I'm sure with prepaid CC's sites would check with the bank on details if the holder of the card is of legal age. banks wouldn't be stupid enough to allow prepaid CC's full access like a normal CC would.

Slipgate

2005-03-13, 07:58

Hmm.... I'm pretty sure I had a fully working normal CC before I was 18. I remember putting some of my prom expenses on it.

Slipgate

Spiritsnare

2005-03-13, 08:41

PREPAID Visa??? Does it bother anyone that anybody can just rock on to a store, get a Visa and just buy ANYTHING off the 'net because the sites assume you are an adult due to your ownership of a credit card? (Umm .. I hope you don't take that personally, Spirit .. I'm not accusing you of anything wrong ^_^ Seriously!)

I'm sure with prepaid CC's sites would check with the bank on details if the holder of the card is of legal age. banks wouldn't be stupid enough to allow prepaid CC's full access like a normal CC would.

The thing is that these aren't sold from the bank and they don't have 'age restrictions' on the credit cards. Having had one myself before, (http://www.simongiftcard.com) I can just say that the only limits are moral ones, I'm afraid. But I'm not going there...;) Oh, and I'm considered a 'young adult' now anyway, so ;)

I wanted to thank all of the people who worked on translating Planetarian: Seung Park, Ed Keyes, Peter Jolly, Lee Massi, Florian Pfaff, Jeff Chang, Wing On Chan, and anyone else who helped. Without your hard work, I would've never thought of buying this, and would've been deprived of such a wonderful little story. It was truly a memorable experience that was both touching and saddening. Now I know why Key is the king of tragedy.

Maceart

2005-03-15, 16:21

Or maybe it's just the writer, playing tricks with our minds and tingling our emotional side.

Spiritsnare

2005-03-15, 17:15

::ship crashes::

Me: TWO WEEKS?!
Storekeeper: Yeah, you need to call them and then they deliver the card to you in two weeks.
Me: But it says leave the store with a card...
Storekeeper: An ATM card, but they send you the credit card in about two weeks.
Me: Oookay, forget it then...::buys pencils for test::

I might just buy it anyway, though so then I can actually buy Planetarian...I'm just a bit behind when it comes to money now, because I let my guard down and let the munchies take over me at school. ::nibbles on crumb mini-donut::

That interpretation is also open. Suzumoto knows how to do endings: "leave sunny imaginations hope. Let it be theirs to conceive the delight of joy born again fresh out of great terror . . . and a happy succeeding life."

Spiritsnare

2005-07-01, 13:17

Update: I got my prepaid credit card at the mall today; it's a debit Visa, loaded with $30, which should be more than enough to (finally) purchase Planetarian.

I'll report back on if it works or not...:3

gp32

2005-07-01, 13:18

Congratulations! Keep us posted.

Spiritsnare

2005-07-01, 13:37

IT WORKED, AHAHAHAH YES!

The only tense part I had to sit through was waiting for the download link to appear on my screen; the name on the credit card was "Gift Card Customer" and I put that in...XD

So psst. All you kiddies out there who downloaded pirated copies of Planetarian have no excuse: BUY IT. NOW. There are prepaid credit cards at your local Safeway, for crying out loud. So buy it legally...or else gp32's team of spies will get you >.>

gp32

2005-07-01, 13:59

IT WORKED, AHAHAHAH YES!
It seems that all that's left for you now is to sit down and enjoy the game ...

So psst. All you kiddies out there who downloaded pirated copies of Planetarian have no excuse: BUY IT. NOW. There are prepaid credit cards at your local Safeway, for crying out loud. So buy it legally...or else gp32's team of spies will get you >.>
Spies? There's the beginning of an "in Soviet Russia" joke somewhere in here, I swear ... O_O

Erirevr
Funny how this is a near-anagram of the word that it's obscuring ...

Spiritsnare

2005-07-01, 20:33

Erirevr
Funny how this is a near-anagram of the word that it's obscuring ...

Yeah, I noticed that too, and wondered if I should do something else, like Al Bhed instead of ROT13.

Oh well. Either way, the first letter of the name is capitalized so people know who I'm talking about :P

edit I noticed a little something with Revvie-chan's graphic: did you change the badge art from Hoshino Yumemi to Reverie Planetarian, or was that all Key?

edit2: And why didn't you do that in the Trial Version? ;)

gp32

2005-07-01, 21:36

Although I think 'sealed city' (from the trial) > 'sarcophagus city' (from the retail version). Sealed cities sound cooler than sarcophagus cities. ;)
I recall making the decision to implement this change; my reasoning behind it stems from the fact that when a concrete containment structure was erected over Chernobyl after the meltdown, the structure was labeled by the Western media as a "sarcophagus". This turn of phrase has stayed with me ever since, and in the context of planetarian, it's certainly more appropriate than "sealed city" in any number of ways.

Revvie-chan
You should probably know that the term "Revvie" was my translation of the string "Yumemi-chan" -- so your -chan there is redundant.

did you change the badge art from Hoshino Yumemi to Reverie Planetarian, or was that all Key?
All of our translations tend to include little bits of polish here and there, including things like, oh, minute graphical edits that most users won't even realize are there.

And why didn't you do that in the Trial Version? ;)
Speed. Our work on the Trial Edition took us maybe a week, maybe less. And at the time, we weren't thinking of doing the Retail Edition, so we were a little less concerned about the level of graphic edits that we wanted to put into the project.

Oh, offhand, I found this (http://atp.manga.sk/mEBGE/index.htm) site the other day, and thanks to quotations like:

Questionable demos:
Many fans feel demo-only translations have no point for the fans when there will never be a full translation. Groups use these to practice.

I burst out laughing. Groups? What groups? Last I checked, the vast majority of the demo translations out there are ours. They are most definitely *not* practice. And ... the fans really need to wake up if they think that I ever did anything -- or *wanted* to do anything -- for *their* sake.

I also find it interesting how this person gave all translations we've ever done, including planetarian, the grade of C. Along with snide remarks like:

Oh! Thanks for letting me see a bit of something that I'll never be able to finish!

-_-

GreatSaintLouis

2005-07-01, 23:41

"Dammit, why should I have to learn Japanese to do this? YOU should read it for me and then write everything down, and package it all in an easy-to-use-format! NOW!"

my reasoning behind it stems from the fact that when a concrete containment structure was erected over Chernobyl after the meltdown, the structure was labeled by the Western media as a "sarcophagus".
That was the exact image I had in my mind after seeing the term "sarcophagus city" for the first time, but it WAS appropriate considering the nature of the wars that had taken place before the story.
Of course, I also have a rather unhealthy fascination with Chernobyl, but it's nice to see I wasn't the only one thinking along those lines.

Haeleth

2005-07-02, 03:22

I also find it interesting how this person gave all translations we've ever done, including planetarian, the grade of C.
To be fair, I think they were trying to rate the game, not the translation.

Of course, anyone who rates any aspect of Planetarian a C is not someone whose judgement I am inclined to respect.

omgwtflolz

2005-07-02, 06:47

From that site

Why so few?
Translating written Japanese is much more difficult than spoken.

It is? I've always found it easier, myself.

And isn't Eternal Fighter Zero a bishoujo game? :/

Spiritsnare

2005-07-02, 07:03

my reasoning behind it stems from the fact that when a concrete containment structure was erected over Chernobyl after the meltdown, the structure was labeled by the Western media as a "sarcophagus".
That was the exact image I had in my mind after seeing the term "sarcophagus city" for the first time, but it WAS appropriate considering the nature of the wars that had taken place before the story.
Of course, I also have a rather unhealthy fascination with Chernobyl, but it's nice to see I wasn't the only one thinking along those lines.

Well, then, I guess the word 'sarcophagus' doesn't sit well with me all too much.

Oh, and as for...

Oh! Thanks for letting me see a bit of something that I'll never be able to finish!

"Oh! Thanks for being egotistical about it when you haven't even done some translations yourself!" Sure, the dude does fangames for free, but I mean, come on. That alone does not make one all High and Mightyâ„¢.

Also, because he gave planetarian a C, he obviously must've not played the entire game...the ending makes all the difference >.>

And isn't Eternal Fighter Zero a bishoujo game? :/

I thought it was just another doujin fighter...with 1200% more Key than Melty Blood.

edit Just Kanon characters? Whatever happened to the ONE characters? And all those add-ons (eg: EFZ Bad Moon Edition) that let you play as more characters than before? >.>

It's funny how he only lists EFZ...because Glove on Fight, Melty Blood/ReACT/FinalTuned, and Queen of Hearts (?) is not on that list :P Or so I see...

gp32

2005-07-02, 07:41

It is? I've always found it easier, myself.
I agree. Then again, I shouldn't be speaking, because Korean happens to be my native language (which also uses Kanji, and as a matter of fact also has a very high degree of concordance with respect to different combinations of Kanji); reading the language has always come easier to me than listening to it has.

That was the exact image I had in my mind after seeing the term "sarcophagus city" for the first time, but it WAS appropriate considering the nature of the wars that had taken place before the story.
Of course, I also have a rather unhealthy fascination with Chernobyl, but it's nice to see I wasn't the only one thinking along those lines.
Well, then, I guess the word 'sarcophagus' doesn't sit well with me all too much.
The other thing I should mention is that the word also evokes a certain commonality between the Junkers of planetarian and the early "archaeologists" who excavated into -- and stole the treasures of -- the Egyptian pyramids.

Also, because he gave planetarian a C, he obviously must've not played the entire game...the ending makes all the difference >.>
Well, that and he gave Fate/stay night a C as well. I mean, planetarian deserves at least a B in and of its own merits (my translation quality or lack thereof aside); Fate deserves at least an ... F? Oh, wait a second ...

I thought it was just another doujin fighter...with 1200% more Key than Melty Blood.
Funny how you're invoking Asuka 120% here ... ^^

Shii

2005-07-02, 09:25

Of course, anyone who rates any aspect of Planetarian a C is not someone whose judgement I am inclined to respect.It didn't have enough cute girls (http://atp.manga.sk/mEBGE/english/pn/pn.htm) in it. Let this be a lesson to any fool who wants to write a visual novel without a moe element.

Spiritsnare

2005-07-02, 09:29

Of course, anyone who rates any aspect of Planetarian a C is not someone whose judgement I am inclined to respect.It didn't have enough cute girls (http://atp.manga.sk/mEBGE/english/pn/pn.htm) in it. Let this be a lesson to any fool who wants to write a visual novel without a moe element.

The sadness and drama make up for the moe. <3

kouryuu

2005-07-02, 10:51

To be fair, I think they were trying to rate the game, not the translation.

Of course, anyone who rates any aspect of Planetarian a C is not someone whose judgement I am inclined to respect.

Who is the person and where does he live? I shall send him a ticking bomb.
---end minor fanboy rage---

I actually liked the choice of Sarcophagous, one for the connectioin with the Junkers, and two because its associated with mummies, therefore it gives the cites the sense that they've long died, been preserved, and buried, left to sit there for all eternity without being disturbed. So I thought it really fit, giving the cities a true sense of abandonment and death. Sealed Cities, on the other hand, sounds more to me like either a snowglobe or the Forbidden Palace.

GreatSaintLouis

2005-07-02, 11:46

Who is the person and where does he live? I shall send him a ticking bomb.
Reviewer: What happen?
Reviewer's assistant: "Someone set up us the ticking bomb!"

Spiritsnare

2005-07-02, 12:34

Who is the person and where does he live? I shall send him a ticking bomb.
Reviewer: What happen?
Reviewer's assistant: "Someone set up us the ticking bomb!"

You know, it was hilarious enough that I was bored enough to read through the AYB article on Wikipedia earlier today...

The following part of the post should be in the Polyphonica thread, but was left here by accident when the topics were split, sorry! - Haeleth (And his reply is here. (http://forums.haeleth.net/viewtopic.php?t=295&start=4) ;) - Spiritsnare)

Any hope of a demo translation?
http://dev.haeleth.net contains everything you need to make your own. :P

Does it come included with a insta-learn-Japanese data module to engrave onto my brain? :D